The structure of these residences makes them perfect places for anyone that has recently been released from a rehabilitation center. When people leave a rehabilitation center they often need structure to help them maintain their new walk on the sober side.
The Sober living environment homes help people to put the new ways they have to live their life in order to remain drug or alcohol free into play. Many drug addicts, and alcoholics, are successful in the rehabilitation centers, and they have plans to remain sober when they leave these centers, but as soon as they are back on their own they quickly fall back into their old habits, and they relapse. That is why you see people go into rehab several times for the same addiction.
One of the ways that people change their addictive behaviors when they get out of rehab is for them to stop going to the same places they once went. You cannot remain sober for very long if you are still hanging out in the bars, clubs, and areas where you once partied and used alcohol and drugs. The temptation will be too much and you will return to that old behavior.
The Sober living environment homes help people to form bonds with other people who are struggling to change their habits, hang-ups, and addictions. With the help of accountability partners, and leaders who are there to encourage each resident the recovering addict has a greater possibility for success.
Although the sober living environment houses were primarily designed to help people who have just finished rehab there is not a rule that says you must go to rehab in order to live in one of the houses. Many people have used these residences to help them past an addictive phase in their life without ever going into rehab.
Common Guidelines found in Sober Living Environment Group Housing
The following guidelines are found to be at the majority of all sober living environment resident homes. Each individual sober living environment residence home will also have some other rules for their residence to follow. In order to reside in one of these residences you must agree to and abide by all of the established rules of the house.
1. No drugs or alcohol are allowed on the premises of a sober living residence
2. No overnight guests are allowed
3. You must go to the recovery meetings and you must be actively participating in those meetings. You cannot just show up and occupy a chair.
4. There are curfews that you must abide by
5. You must submit to random drug & alcohol testing.
6. You must have a job, or be actively attending school, or be enrolled, and participating in an outpatient program
7. You must work to help create a positive house relationship with the SLE peer group.
Sober living environment group residences are great places for people to learn to put their new sobriety to the test. In these residences every one you meet is struggling with the same fact of life.